M E M O R I A L S P I R I T
In 1982, Graves was elected the 42nd
Bishop of the CME Church. Upon his
election, Graves was also elected to
denomination and assigned to preside
over its First Episcopal District. The First
Episcopal District is comprised of all of the
CME Churches located in Tennessee and
Arkansas. As the presiding bishop, his
responsibilities included chairing the Lane
College Board of Trustees; assigning a
pastor to each CME Church in Tennessee
and Arkansas; and making sure that these
that included: their operating expenses,
colleges (including Lane) established
by the CME Church in Georgia, Tennessee,
Alabama, and Texas, and aid for such
causes as AIDS relief; hurricane relief; and
missions in Africa, Haiti, and Jamaica .
He made history when he appointed the
Versie Easter, in the CME Church. Graves
80,000 square foot building that serves as the
CME denomination’s national headquarters
in Memphis, Tennessee and is home to
retail space of local business owners. It is
especially attractive to Black business owners
often victims of lending discrimination.
A devoted advocate for creating more
affordable housing, he led the First Episcopal
District in establishing housing developments
Arkansas, and Louisiana. In 2006, Graves
became the Senior Bishop and CEO of the
CME church, a post he held until his
retirement in July of 2010. During his
the CME Church at several ecumenical
conferences in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Beyond his work in the church, Graves
rendered service and leadership through
extensive civic and community involvement.
Within several noteworthy organizations,
he served in various capacities including
as a member and vice chair of the national
board of directors of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People
(NAACP) where he served alongside civil
Julian Bond.
He was a former member of the board of
directors for Memphis, Light, Gas and Water
(MLGW); a past chair and founding member
of the Conference of National Black Churches;
and a past chair of Phillips School of Theology
at ITC.
In 2006, after being nominated by Senator
Lamar Alexander, President George W. Bush
appointed Graves to the Board of Directors for
the nation’s largest public power company, the
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which
serves electrical power at discounted rates to
residents of Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky,
Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, and
board. After the historic election of President
Barack Obama in 2008, Graves served as a
member of the Obama administration’s
National Clergy Working Group. Blessed
with a legacy of service and achievement that
spanned over a half century, Graves insisted
that openness and fairness are essential to
effective leadership. “Always be honest and
fair with people. Let them know what you are
doing and why you are doing it, and never put
your personal interests before what is good for
the whole.”
Bishop Graves departed this life on Saturday,
November 30,2019, in Memphis, Tennessee.
He was preceded in death by his parents:
Johnnie and Leatha Graves, his brothers:
James and Johnnie L., and his sisters: Esther,
Pearl, and Fannie Mae. He treasured his family
and friends and went out of his way to help
them. Bishop Graves is survived by his wife,
Donna Bentley Graves; and his children (born
of his previous maniage to Alfretta O. Burton
Graves): Jacqueline Graves Thomas, Ameera
Victoria Graves, and William Henry Graves, II;
Geemes (Harold); Brother, Frank T. Graves;
his four grandchildren: Marvin Frank Thomas,
Jr., William Henry Graves, III, Jadan Jordan
Patsy Cole (Vernal), and Jacqueline Burton
Kenneth Bentley (Jelana), Brian Bentley
(Evette), and J. Morris Anderson; and a
host of nieces, nephews, and extended
family members.